


I will destroy you

by posiesiny



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: DRAMAtical Lesbians, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/F, F/M, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:34:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24130666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/posiesiny/pseuds/posiesiny
Summary: Josie is a businesswoman. A stern, straightforward, impenetrable woman. Made a fortune before the age of 22. What will happen when she meets the wayward and independent Penelope?
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Lizzie Saltzman, Josie Saltzman & Lizzie Saltzman, Josie Saltzman & Rafael Waithe, Josie Saltzman/Rafael Waithe, Landon Kirby & Josie Saltzman, Landon Kirby & Penelope Park, Milton "MG" Greasley & Josie Saltzman, Milton "MG" Greasley & Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park & Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park & Lizzie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman, Penelope Park/Lizzie Saltzman
Comments: 23
Kudos: 143





	1. Sister?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [posiescoven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/posiescoven/gifts).



> Huge gratitude to @chaoticpenelope for Nico and Celeste!

"Miss Saltzman, you have a visitor," came a voice from the intercom.

Josie, aka Josette Saltzman, the girl who broke into the whiskey market with her unique, family-friendly recipe. The girl's father, Alaric, has always been a fan of this drink and was looking for the perfect combination. After his death, the recipe that he wrote shortly before his death passed to her. Now it is the leader of the alcohol market in several States, releasing all new combinations, luring potential customers from other brands, or other types of alcoholic products.

"I told you not to bother me until the evening" the girl's aggression reached a peak.

"Dear sister, you can't just lock yourself in here and avoid me." a blonde woman burst into the office.

"Elizabeth, I'm very busy, the presentation of the new line in a few months, and my assistant decided that it's time to go on maternity leave" the brown-haired woman rolled her eyes and continued to dig through the papers.

"First of all, stop being mad at everyone. People don't deserve to be treated like this." Lizzie sat down opposite her sister.

Josie looked up at the blonde. Rolling her eyes, she sipped her coffee and leaned back in her chair, giving her sister a hint to continue.

"Second, you can hire another person, at least temporarily. Believe me, there are good specialists in the city," Lizzie was rudely interrupted by Josie jumping to her feet.

"I do not want here to talk about the specialists, if you are just beginning to participate in the conduct of business, there would be no problems!” the brown-haired woman declared fiercely.

"Are you not listening to me or what? I don't want to be here, working. I don't like it, just accept it. My career is developing, be happy, and do not try to destroy what I have been going for so long." the blonde slammed her palm on the table as she stood up.

"You think I don't know that you were behind the Greenwich setup, Josie?” Lizzie grabbed her things and ran outside.

After the death of their father, the sisters ' relationship deteriorated every day. Lizzie didn't want them to follow each other, because they were twins. She went to the California Institute of the Arts, on the other side of the country. The BFA Program in Character Animation was Lizzie's dream, which she decided to follow, despite all the tantrums of her sister, who remained in Miami. Forty-two hours of driving separated the twins for four years.

Josie slumped into a chair. Catching her breath, she went back to sorting through the documents.

* * *

There was a knock on the door. Josie's Secretary had long since gone home, as had everyone else in the office. She always stayed up late, keeping herself busy. Lizzie always worried and dragged the brown-haired girl out of the office, but not today. After the quarrel, she was unlikely to return, she told herself.

"Come in!” Josie shouted, looking up from her computer.

"Hi, Jo," a broad smile graced MG's face.

"Hi, why aren't you home yet?” Josie got up and fell into the guy's arms.

They have been friends since childhood. MG has always been a support for two twins. Their parents were friends long before their children were born. The guy has been working for the company for several years. At one time, he was looking for work in Europe, trying to escape from the past. After several failures, he returned to the States. Josie had wanted him to be head of the Marketing department at Salzman Whiskey for several years, and he finally agreed.

“Lizzie called me. Want to go for a drink? A friend of mine opened a great place nearby.”

“Of course, I need to wash down this day.” Josie grabbed her jacket from the rack and her bag from the table, and they left the building together.

The walk through the blocks was quiet. Night fell on the city. Most of the townspeople were already asleep. Occasionally, you could see tourists walking around, taking photos of the night in Miami. They decided to go on foot because under the influence of alcohol, you can not drive, it is not safe. MG broke the silence, remembering a curious case of one of his employees. Jo burst out laughing. The only person is other than her family who is allowed into the circle of trust, is he.

At the entrance to the establishment, they were met by a security officer, to whom MG whispered something in his ear and he immediately let them in.

“It's a closed place, and if you don't have an invitation, you can't get in. So it is almost impossible to meet someone unpleasant.” MG explained

“How do you know the owner?” pair went to the VIP tables on the second floor, where they could see the tables below.

“We met when I was in Belgium. I didn't get a job again and went on a spree in one of the bars, and that's where we met. We got into a fight and then became friends.” MG was smiling like he'd won the lottery.

“You as always” Josie laughed.

“I'll introduce you, he promised to join us today.” the guy with the sweet afro has always been a Cupid for Jo.

“Stop looking for a date for me.” Josie got angry and stood up.

“I was just kidding, where are you going?” the guy was worried.

“To the bathroom, I'll be back, don't worry.” Josie went downstairs.

The bar was dimly lit, with neon lights on the walls and floor. A quiet indie was playing. On the dance floor, in the center of the room, you could see couples dancing. Glancing at one of them, the girl bumped into one of the waiters.

“SHIT! Do you even look where you're going? You only need your eyes to make up them?” a girl with jet-black hair stood in front of Josie.  
  


“Actually, it was you who bumped into me. You should look where you're going, not just in the mirror.” the girl met Josie's steely gaze.  
  


“Penelope, the fourth table!” the bartender called to the girl standing across from Jo.

The girl took one last look at Josie and left. Leaving her confused in the middle of the place. The first person who was not afraid to answer her, given the authority of the brown-haired woman, the waitress either did not know who she was or an immortal.

“So Penelope, huh?” Josie told herself as she continued to the bathroom.

When she returned to the table, she was met by an enthusiastic MG and a curly-haired guy who sat with his back to her.

“Landon, let me introduce you to Josette Saltzman. Whiskey Queen in several States.” the boys stood up to greet the girl.

“Landon Park, this place owner, and this dork`s friend.” the guy laughed and held out his hand to Josie.

“Please call me Josie. MG`s friend, my friend.” the brown-haired woman put her hand in the guy's.

The three of them sat down at a table. The conversation was easy, and Josie and Landon quickly found common ground. The guy said that he already has a large network in Europe and now decided to conquer the United States. Its establishments are really popular. Many people want to get an invitation, but even fame and popularity do not guarantee it.  
  


“Your champagne, gentlemen… and lady.” Penelope began to arrange the glasses.

“Thank You! I was beginning to think you drank everything along the way” Landon joked

“Don't worry, I will have to leave you a sip.” Penelope laughed.

MG and Josie looked at each other, perplexed by the interaction between their boss and subordinate. At that moment, the pressure in the bottle, which was opened by a girl with Raven hair, knocks out the cork, spilling half of the contents directly on Josie.

“What the fuck? Are your hands growing out of the wrong place?” Josie's rage clouded her mind.

“Oops,” a grin graced Penelope's face.

“I will destroy you” Jo threatened as she headed for the bathroom.

“Pen, why?” Landon looked at her questioningly.

“Someone should have cooled her down” Penelope poured the remaining champagne, beckoning her colleague to clean up the mess.

“Milton, let me introduce you to my sister.” Landon pointed at Penelope.

“Penelope Park, I've heard a lot about you from this bonsai guy.” the girl kindly handed the glass to the MG.

“Sister?” MG was in shock.


	2. I have one condition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge gratitude to @chaoticpenelope for Nico and Celeste!

Landon was enjoying the view from the edge of the terrace on the fifty-sixth floor of the office building. Sunny day contributed to the good mood of the guy. A light breeze blew his hair in the wind.

“Mr.Park, Miss Saltzman is waiting! Follow me, please.” Landon turned at the voice of the fair-haired girl.

“Yes, sure!” the guy smiled and followed her.

They went to the elevator and went down to the ground floor. The doors opened, revealing the main part of the office. The large room was occupied by a small number of employees. It was divided into rooms with transparent walls, tables stood next to huge windows that covered the entire wall, and in the middle was an island with drinks and snacks.

“If you go to the right along the corridor, along with the transparent rooms, there is a conference room on the left, and the restrooms on the right.” the girl explained to Landon.

“Oh, okay, thank you!” the curly-haired boy smiled at her.

“Miss Saltzman asked me to show you what's where so you don't get lost.”

“Now follow me, she's waiting for you in her cabinet.” the fair-haired girl turned left.

They reached the brown wooden doors at the end of the corridor. The girl knocked and after waiting a few seconds opened it.

“Miss Saltzman, Mr. Park`s here!” she opened the door so that Landon could pass her at a good distance.  
  


“Thank you, you are free!” Josie got up from the table, coming around to greet the guy.

“Hi, good to see you again!” Landon kissed her hand gallantly.

“It's mutual, but let's get right to the point. I invited you for a reason. I want to offer you cooperation.” Josie motioned for him to sit in a chair by the window, and she sat down opposite him.

“I'm listening carefully.” Landon leaned back in his chair.  
  


“As you know, we produce one of the best whiskeys on the continent. After talking to MG, I thought you might be interested in my offer. Salzman Whiskey wants your bars to become, in a way, ambassadors of our drink in Europe and in the US too, of course.” Josie put the contract on the coffee table between them.

Landon thought about it. His brows rose and fell together. The emotions on his face were hard to read. He picked up the folder from the table and began to study it. Josie waited patiently for his decision, trying not to show her nervousness.

“Why?” Landon looked up from the documents.

“What?” the guy caught her off guard.

“Why my bars? In Europe, there is a much larger network of entertainment venues.” the guy with jet-black hair stared at the brown-haired woman.

“MG trusts you, so I won't lie to you. Every year things are getting worse, we are not keeping up with our competitors, and I want to prepare a "lifeline" for the company.” Josie looked at him warily.

“I agree to sign the contract” the guy smiled at her

“Yes? It's just wonderful!” Josie jumped in her seat.

“But I have one condition.”

“I'm listening!” Josie picked up her notebook, ready to write.  
  


“You also sign an ambassador contract with my sister. She owns a few Riders Club and she becomes the face of several lines of drinks. Don't worry, she has a lot of experience in modeling. Because of his height, he does not walk on the catwalk but is a success for photo shooting.” Landon looked composed and determined.

“I agree with your edits. My lawyers will contact your lawyers and prepare a contract.” Josie stood up with a smile, holding out her hand to shake.

* * *

“Lopey!” Landon entered the mansion.

“I`ll kill you!” Penelope sang in response.

The raven-haired girl went down to the hall to meet her brother. Lan took off his jacket and waited for his sister with a big smile. The grin on his face didn't bode well for her.

“So…” Penelope sat down on the sofa opposite the curly-haired guy.

“So you`ll be the Saltzman Whiskey line face”

“No!” before Landon could finish, his sister cut him off.

“What?” perplexity froze on the guy's face, “I thought you'd be happy to come back. In any case, the contract is signed, everyone only benefits from it.”

“I- I can't…you don't understand” Landon moved to his sister's side and put a gentle arm around her shoulders.

“You promised me. I gave you a year, it's time to go back, tiny snake, I'll be there. Love you.” Landon kissed Penelope on the forehead.

“I will try. I'm a Park” the girl brushed away her worry.

“You are expected in Saltzman Whiskey int. on Monday morning.” the curly-haired boy went to the kitchen.

“Thank you, Landy” Penelope laughed and followed her brother.

* * *

The rest of the week was quiet for the older Park and as fussy as possible for the younger one. Penelope was preparing to work and return to the leadership of the Rider Club. Her cousin Jed took over for a year. He was adopted by her aunt and her wife, who was their nanny as a child, at an early age. They grew up side by side and became a family.

Penelope was sitting in her office at the mansion when the front doorbell rang and she heard laughter and two low voices in the hallway. The door swung open and two guys came in.

“This is where my little sister is hiding” Jed wrapped Penelope in a big hug. “I missed you, nerd!” the guy left a kiss on the top of his sister's head and ruffled her hair.

“I missed you too, dork!” Penelope pushed her brother's hand away and straightened her hair, trying to hide a smile, but she couldn't and laughed with her brothers.

“I'll make some tea” Landon patted Jed on the shoulder and left.

“I brought the documents for the last three months that you asked for.” Penelope sat down, and Jed sat across from her, pulling papers out of his bag. “Also in the kitchen, you will find a small parcel from your favorite aunts”

“No way! Chocolate brownies by Nico and Celeste!?” Penelope's face lit up with universal joy.  
  


“It's a huge box, so let's get it over with and make sure Landon doesn't eat it all!” Jed laughed and imitated his sister's delight.

* * *

Monday came treacherously fast. The raven-haired girl sipped her coffee slowly in the kitchen, trying to delay the moment to leave. Only the hands on the wall clock thought otherwise. The app on her phone alerted her to uber's arrival. Penelope got up, picked up her bag and phone, and went out to the waiting car.

The girl had a reason for rejecting Landon's idea, but there was no way to implement it. Her brothers had already allowed her to take a year off from everything and recover herself. A year and a half ago, a huge number of popular magazines and advertising companies could not afford to choose someone instead of Penelope Park.

City streets flashed past the window of an inconspicuous car. People were in a hurry, and the weather was calm. A few traffic lights later, a traffic jam gathered, and Penelope sighed heavily, looking at her watch.

Amazing performance, photogenic, unsurpassed sexuality, female independence were combined in this short, but strong young girl. The name of the Park added invincibility to the image. All of Europe was buzzing at the mention of Penelope in the news. After their parents died in high school, their siblings were the center of attention day and night. Someone wanted to take a bite out of Park Industries, and someone wanted to get a piece of their success.

Perhaps the name helped her get to the top, but it was possible to stay there only with the application of incredible efforts and it seems that she had enough of them.

“We're here! Have a nice day!” the driver smiled sweetly at the girl in the rearview mirror.

“Thank you!” Penelope picked up her bag and went out right at the entrance to the Saltzman Whiskey.

Something was bothering her. The place didn't seem to Bode well for her, but at the same time, there was a sense of infinite calm. Penelope went inside and approached the receptionist in the middle of the huge hall. The dark-haired Asian woman smiled brightly when she saw the young Park, but Penelope was too focused.

“Good afternoon! What can I do for you?” she quickly snatched the raven-haired girl from her reverie.

“Good afternoon! My name is Penelope Park and I have an appointment here right about now.” the girl gave her a working smile.

“Give me a minute to check, I'm sure you'll be met.” Penelope just nodded indifferently.

While the receptionist checked something on her computer and contacted someone who was probably above her in status, Penelope looked around the building from the inside. Everything inside had the company's initials, brand colors, and logo. Several banners with a new line of drinks here and there.

The setting was significantly different from any European, but this only served to fuel the girl's interest in the person who had created it. As far as she could tell from her brother's stories, the owner was about their age, but only in appearance. The CEO must be a mad fan of his business and as workaholic as any of the Parks.

“Good afternoon! My name is Jade, and I'm Miss Saltzman's assistant.” the blonde held out her hand to Penelope, “Nice to meet you, Miss Park!”

“Nice to meet you too!” Penelope gave the girl a restrained smile.

“Follow me, Miss Saltzman is already waiting for you.”

Jade went to a separate elevator that was far away from the others. Penelope came in and stood beside her. The girl pressed the button for the second-to-last floor and the doors closed.

Inside, it seemed ordinary to the raven-haired girl, but only at first. After a few floors, it turned out that the walls, except for the doors, were transparent and now they had a view of the city and some office space. She'd only been here a few weeks and hadn't really explored the city, but the sight of it struck her. You could see the coast and buildings of various architectural styles in the distance. The city was definitely worth exploring.

The Elevator slowed and the doors opened at the signal. Jade went to the left, and Penelope followed, trying to absorb as much of the atmosphere as possible. The blonde peered through the wooden doors and opened them a few seconds later so that Penelope could enter.

“Miss Park, I'm very glad you agreed to come here as soon as possible.” Josie turned slowly to Penelope. The doors were closed by jade, who had kindly left them.

The brown-haired woman's smile faltered when she realized who was standing in front of her. A woman she'd hoped never to see again.

“It seems that fate itself wants our close acquaintance!” the famous Park-like grin graced the face of Penelope.

The girl allowed herself to pass and sit down opposite the strong and impenetrable woman who was still standing in shock.

“You?” the only thing could utter a surprised Josie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you like it!  
> @posiesiny


	3. This is Josie by the way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see!  
> I hope you are safe and sound!  
> Enjoy your reading!

The first few weeks were too busy for Penelope, but this was to be expected if You work with a large company. She had almost no contact with Josie, and the only important information she received was from Jade's mouth or messages. Maybe it was a good thing because they did not get along with the brown-haired woman and could barely stand the presence of each other in the same room. Most of the hostility came from Josie, but Penelope, deciding that she was okay with reciprocating It, only supported what both girls had no real reason to do.

It was already the third week of preparation for the presentation of the girl with raven hair as the face of Saltzman Whiskey. The advertising company was aimed at attracting new customers through the cute face of a young girl, as well as to interest girls. After all, whiskey is considered a man's drink, but this is the twenty-first century and it's time to flip a niche around in favor of gender equality.

Since the morning, Penelope was in the company's photo studio, trying to create an image of a girl for banners in the United States, who does not need the approval of others, destroys stereotypes, but remains herself without taking on more than necessary.

Unfortunately for Josie, she had to meet with her to discuss certain points of the contract that were subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Without interrupting the process of work, Salzman decided to go down to the studio. Picking up the papers, she got out and headed for the elevator.

Abruptly, the light began to blink and the elevator began to shake. Complete stop.

“No, no, no!” Josie nervously pressed the button several times.

Her breath came faster, and her hands moved through her hair. Panic. Josie usually never got into the elevator alone, either with Jade or anyone else. Now when she was focused on work lost sight of it.

It seemed as if the air was leaving her lungs, and no new air was coming into the box where Josie was trapped. Claustrophobia was the weak point in her life. Jo couldn't fight it after her bad experience at school.

The Saltzman sisters had always been, up to a certain point, one of the shortest and most compact people in the school. Only Lizzie had her scary, icy bitch eyes, and Josie had a love of literature. Once, when the brown-haired girl was waiting for her sister at their lockers, the main rebel of the school decided that it would be fun to shove the little girl into the janitor's pantry. This room was no more than a meter wide and long, filled with mops, buckets, and cleaning supplies. Lizzie found her sister a few minutes later and quickly rescued her. But it seemed to Josie that several days had passed. Since then, everything has started to change. The Saltzman sisters rose to the top of the school hierarchy, and Jo built her walls.

Images from the past began to return to the girl. She huddled in a corner and hugged her knees to her chest, burying her head in them. The phone rang.

“Josie, Thank God, where are you?” at the other end of the line, Lizzie was very worried, “There was a voltage jump and the equipment stopped working”

The brown-haired woman couldn't say a word.

  
“Jo?”  
  


“Elevator” after a long pause Josie whispered.

There were some rustling and some obscenity at the other end. Josie didn't hear anything, as if she had cotton balls stuffed in her ears that wouldn't let anything through.  
  
“I'll find someone to fix it, don't worry, I'm here” it seemed that the conversation was over and the panic with a new force seized the girl.  
  


“Hey, are you there?” there was a soft voice instead of Lizzie's, “Breathe in... and out” Penelope could hear the ragged breathing that steadied over time.  
  
“When I was little, my mother and I used to make cupcakes with berry filling and chocolate frosting” Josie was confused when she heard this, “But once my brothers replaced the jam with toothpaste, which was the same color and smell. As you may have guessed, that night was the worst cupcakes of my culinary career.” Penelope heard a giggle from another girl.  
  
“Lizzie and I have only baked once in our lives. Was it some kind of pie ... with apples? Yes, it is apples. That year the neighbors had a rich harvest of apples, and several boxes were brought to us.” Penelope listened too closely, absorbing every word, “We were young and didn't know anything about temperature, so I almost burned the kitchen down when Lizzie left for a while.”

The elevator started to move, and Josie got up from the floor. Once on the right floor, she was met by an excited sister.  
  
“I'm fine, I've been in touch all the time with ... Penelope?” the confusion on Josie's face is beyond words.

The girl who caused unusually strong tides of hatred was with her at a difficult moment. She shared her innermost memories and found something to say. It's a little confusing, isn't it?

* * *

Workers quickly repaired everything that was damaged due to the power surge and the company continued working.

Josie stayed longer than usual. When she looked up from her papers, it was half-past one in the morning. Lizzie is long gone, as is everyone who works in the office. The only light was on the 55th floor of the business center.

Thoughts of what had happened popped into Josie's head. She got up and went out to look for Penelope's number on Jade's desk. Too many papers that could have been archived a long time ago. Everything pointed to the fact that the girl needs help.

One of the business cards read: _Penelope Park_

Just what you need. The brown-haired woman quickly typed the number into the phone's memory.

_Josie: I'm sorry to write so late. I wanted to thank you for today. You saved a lot of nerves, both mine and others', haha_

_Josie: Thank you!_

_Josie: This is Josie by the way_

Penelope must be asleep by now, Josie thought. But she was too impatient to thank her because tomorrow her positive mood might evaporate.

Josie decided it was time to go home and get some sleep, take a shower, and maybe treat herself to junk food. Phone buzzed.

_Penelope: You're welcome_

_Penelope: Goodnight!_

* * *

Penelope put down her phone and breathed in the fresh air of the city. The wind blew gently across her face. In the distance, there were occasional sounds of passing cars, waves, and emergency sirens. Along the windows was a fun group of carefree teenagers who listened to light music through a speaker and clearly did not intend to end their party.

Penelope finally moved out of her brother's house and got a private loft near the center. The balcony and quiet area were her priority during the search.

She was impressed with the day. Penelope never thought that a strong woman like Josette Saltzman could become vulnerable in the blink of an eye.

In fact, it's amazing how much they don't know each other. Even Lizzie, who had only been in Penelope's space three or four times, was introduced to Her as a person with her interests and nightmares. But Josie, she's something else.

The walls Josie had built had not been breached by anyone but her sister and her best friend. The brown-haired woman tucked her fears too much, but she identified one as her advantage. Fear of other people, which she has made it a priority, thinking that it just allows her to be careful, but it is absolutely not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think will happen next with Jo and Penelope's relationship?


	4. Miss Park, would you like to say a few words?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!  
> I hope you doing well!  
> Enjoy a new chapter!

The advertising campaign of the whiskey line with the face of Penelope Park started successfully. The Ambassador in the person of an independent, self-sufficient, and strong woman is an excellent move on the part of the head of Saltzman Whiskey. Landon Park might have been the lever, but in the end, it was Josie who perfected the idea. In the first two weeks, all sales records in the United States were broken. People, including a large percentage of women, wanted to get acquainted with the new drink on the market.

Josie, with the help of Lizzie and her fiancee hope, organized an incredible party for the staff directly involved in the success of the campaign. A few days off after this event is a great reward for everyone.

“Jo, the drinks have arrived and Hope is making sure no one breaks anything” Lizzie was talking from Josie's phone screen.

“Thank you very much for taking over the organization and control, I literally do not have time to do anything,” the brown-haired woman said without looking up from her pc.  
  


“By the way, Penelope still hasn't confirmed her invitation!” Josie looked sharply from the screen to her sister.  
  
“What? Why? It's practically a party in her honor-” Josie started looking for something on her desk.  
  
“Calm down, you're too useless a gay sometimes!” the blonde laughed.

After the incident in the elevator, the air between the two girls changed. Penelope felt more comfortable and began to enjoy working and socializing with Josie. The head of the company began to communicate directly with the raven-haired girl, more often to be in her space, despite all his employment. They even had lunch together a couple of times after the negotiation. But there was an unspoken distance that no one wanted to break. Penelope will leave Josie's life at the end of the contract and it seems that the brown-haired woman does not quite agree with this, but does not do anything.  
  
“Haha, see you after midnight or never! BYE!” the brown-haired woman hung up.

The intercom crackled and she heard Jade's voice.  
  
“Miss Saltzman, Miss Park`s here!” Josie's heartbeat quickened.  
  
“Let her come in” the brown-haired woman straightened her hair and tidied up a little of the mess on her desk in the few seconds before the raven-haired girl came through the door.  
  
“Hey, Jo!” Penelope smiled sweetly.

“Hey!” a blush threatened to cover Josie's cheeks.

There was a pleasant silence. The two girls just looked at each other and smiled.  
  


“I'm sorry to interrupt. Would you like tea or coffee?” Jade peered into the office, pulling the girls out of the bubble.

“Mint tea, please” Penelope sat down opposite Josie.

“Cappuccino without sugar” the brown-haired woman focused on her hands.

Jade brought the drinks and left them alone again.

“So, why are you here?” Jo took a sip of her coffee.

“Oh, yes, I wanted to ask about the party. I haven't confirmed the invitation yet because there is no +1 for me, so...” the raven-haired girl uttered the phrase awkwardly.  
  


“Oh, I'm sorry, there seems to be some mistake, but the seating plan has two seats reserved for you and your date,” Josie checked her papers “So, feel free to invite someone” the brown-haired woman tried to smile.  
  


“Beautiful! Thank you! Are you going with someone?” Penelope looked at Josie.

“Yes, my sister insisted, and a guy has been trying to get my consent for a long time, and I gave in.” Jo looked at the girl in front of her, trying to find something that would give her a clue.

“Cool! Well, I'll see you tonight!” Park tried not to lose her optimism.

“Yes, of course. See you later!” The raven-haired girl came out of the office.

Something did not give rest to both of them. Is someone too blind to the obvious, or are the hints too ambiguous?

* * *

Soft music was playing, and people were sitting at their tables, enjoying a casual conversation. Here and there you can hear the clink of glasses, laughter, even, it seems, something broke.

Josie sat surrounded by her loved ones. To her left was Lizzie next to Hope, then MG and Landon, and to her right was Rafael. The guy who couldn't take "no". Apparently, he's never been turned down before. But the day he took the risk again, Josie decided to give him a chance. She's pretty sure he doesn't have any serious intentions for her. So using it as a company isn't such a bad idea.

The only thing that bothered Ms. Saltzman, a woman who had built a grand, competitive company that was crushing small businesses, was why Landon had come before Penelope. Where is she?

The conversation at the table did not attract her, and it certainly bored her. Raphael talked about his plans, which he never really cared about. Some of them realized that this was the first time he was here, and probably the last time.  
  


“Jo, I think it's time for the CEO's speech” Lizzie whispered in her sister's ear, trying not to embarrass poor Rafael.  
  


“I wanted to do it with Penelope, but something seems to be going wrong” Lizzie gave a strange grin.

Josie got up from the table and headed for the stage. The DJ turned down the music, the light fell on the brown-haired woman, and one of the waiters handed her a microphone.  
  
“I'm happy to welcome you all tonight!” the audience broke into applause.  
  
“I think you all know why we're here. From the very beginning of the existence of Saltzman Whiskey, we have not had a more successful promotion and product that we released to the market. This is a huge success! And we would not have reached it if we were not in this line-up. You are all great professionals and I am very happy to work with each of you! Thank you for your contribution!” Before Josie could finish speaking, the door opened and Penelope appeared at the top of the stairs, followed by a tall, dark-haired man.

Everyone's attention was drawn to where she stood. Penelope was dressed in a form-fitting silver dress with long sleeves, but almost criminal cleavage and a dangerously high side slit. It all seemed like part of a show that Lizzie might have planned, but who knows. Penelope and her date went down to the tables.  
  
“Miss Park, would you like to say a few words?” Josie's eyes were fixed on the pair.

The man nodded to Penelope and took his seat next to Landon. The girl walked over to Jo, biting her lip and winking at her boss. The waiter brought another microphone.

“Good evening! I hope you're all having a great time!” Penelope laughed when she heard the confirmation in the form of applause.

“I am very happy that we did it! Despite all the difficulties we reached the top and even reached a little higher! Thank you for putting up with me and giving it your all. This is a great experience for me and I am happy to get it exactly in Saltzman Whiskey and share it with you! Cheers!” Josie didn't take her eyes off the girl next to her and probably wasn't even breathing.

“Cheers!” a waiter with two glasses for the girls on stage pulled Jo out of her thoughts.

Everyone applauded and began to raise their glasses. For a few minutes, Josie and Penelope remained on the stage, watching the team's joy.

The raven-haired girl put her arm around Josie's waist and said, “You look hot!”. Josie tried to hide the blush in her cheeks by all means possible, but when she looked into Penelope's emerald eyes, she couldn't and shyly thanked her.

The girls went to the table, where the conversation began again, but this time everyone took part.

“Where`s Jed?” Penelope looked around the room, but sat down and asked her brother.

“Latrine,” Landon said with his mouth full.

This concern for the loss of her beau made Josie a little uneasy since Penelope had just been flirting with her. Perhaps she misunderstood all these signals from the other girl. Maybe this is her usual behavior with other people. To flirt, "accidentally" to touch, to do the ambiguous hints.

* * *

The evening was slowly drawing to a close for some, but some remained at the party. Lizzie and hope went home because they don't work for the company and they have to go to work the next day, just like Landon. So the room was a little empty, but people moved to the back yard to the bar and social conversations.

All evening, Josie managed to avoid Penelope and her date. It was strange how she felt while the raven-haired girl danced with him, whispering to each other as they laughed on the terrace.

“Hey, Miss Saltzman, I finally found you” her luck had run out, and Penelope was standing next to Josie, accompanied by Jed.

“I wasn't hiding at all” the brown-haired woman took a sip from her glass.  
  


“I wanted you to meet her. Jed, this is the most powerful woman on the East coast, Josette Saltzman. Josie, this is Jed, my cousin” Jo suddenly choked on her drink.  
  


“Hey, slow down there!” Penelope tapped the girl on the back.  
  
“Cousin?” the brown-haired woman looked between the Parks.  
  
“What, we don't look alike at all?” Jed pulled Penelope into his arms, face to face, giggling.  
  
“Of course you look-alike” she replied calmly.

“Jed is the adopted son of my aunt and her wife. But oddly enough, we're more alike than we are with Landon.” Penelope giggled and pushed her brother away.  
  
“I'm very happy to be with you ladies, but it's time to go, there's a plane in the morning and I mustn't be late” Jed hugged his sister and said goodbye to Josie

Penelope turned her gaze to the garden and the people who were still having fun. Josie couldn't stop enjoying the girl's beautiful profile. She was very pretty, Josie thought, with her neat nose, full lips, and soft cheeks.

  
“Take a picture and it'll last longer!” Josie smiled and looked down at the people below.  
  
“Sorry! This dress looks good on you.”

“Really? It took you all evening to figure it out?” Penelope stared at Josie, who tried to ignore her gaze.

“No, I knew it right away, I just didn't get a chance to tell you.”  
  


“Maybe you just shouldn't have run away from me all night?” Penelope moved closer to the brown-haired woman. Josie met her gaze.  
  


“Jo, the taxi's here, let's go!” behind them, Rafael's voice sounded jovial and slightly drunk.  
  


“Wait for me downstairs, I'll be right there”  
  
“Sure, have a good night, Penelope!” the raven-haired girl met his gaze and nodded benevolently.  
  
“Goodnight, Penelope!” Josie stared at the girl next to her, no more than half a meter between them.  
  
“Sweet dreams, Jojo!” the raven-haired girl allowed herself a little more.

Josie bit her lip to keep a smile from spreading across her face.

Penelope watched her go and maybe wished she'd caught the girl earlier in the evening. Josie's jealousy was obvious to her and it seems that the brown-haired woman herself understood this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? I need your honest opinion, people!


	5. What's stopping you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it is not clear who will make the first step.

Penelope went for a run as usual early in the morning. The day off was a nice bonus to a good job, given the party, she would have had a hard time continuing the endless interviews and photoshoots. After the run, she headed to the pool in the apartment complex, which she had recently moved into.

Someone familiar to her was already swimming there and did not notice the presence of the raven-haired girl. Josie was about to climb out of the water when beautiful tanned legs appeared in front of her face.

  
“Hello, boss!” Penelope chuckled.

“Hi! So you're my new neighbor?” Josie got out and picked up a towel.  
  
“It seems that way. I didn't know you lived here. Not a very luxurious place for a CEO” Penelope studied Josie's body in the bathing suit.   
  
“I rarely come here because of business trips and night work hours. So I'm fine.” she smiled sweetly at the girl.  
  
“I must go, duty calls!” Jo walked past Penelope.

  
“Are you resting at all?” Penelope glanced over her shoulder to meet Josie's gaze.  
  
“Maybe!” the brown-haired woman smiled and disappeared through the door to the locker room.

* * *

Penelope had a great swim. The training plan was successfully completed and she enjoyed a hot shower while alone in the pool.   
  


But a certain brown-haired woman did not leave her thoughts all this time, causing a slight smile. Who would have known that they would become friends, despite their bad acquaintance?

She got out of the shower and went to the locker room. Slowly changing into dry clothes.

Suddenly the door opened and behind her, Penelope heard, “I`m sorry!” She grabbed a towel and held it in front of her.

  
“It's kind of like a women's locker room, so it's all right. Did you forget something?” Josie turned and took her hand away from her face.  
  
“The phone charger seems to have fallen out of the bag and maybe in the locker” Josie tried to focus on Penelope's eyes.

“What's stopping you?”  
  
“You're standing right next to it, could you move over, please?” Penelope noticed Josie's efforts.  
  
“No!” a grin lit up her face.

Josie was startled by this impertinence and appealed to her own. Starting to squeeze past the practically naked girl, not even glancing at her rounded hips and toned legs, and her collarbones just pulled Josie away.

Penelope moved a little closer to the girl, and when she poked her head out of the locker, there was no fresh air between them. The two streams of breath mingled into one. Josie's gaze darted from her eyes to her lips, which Penelope kindly bit.  
  
“Jo, are you coming soon? Can I come in?” Rafael's voice made Penelope frown.  
  
“I'm coming, don't come in, there are other girls here” Josie touched Penelope's bare waist to pass.

It's an incredible agony to tear your hand away from Penelope's soft skin. It seems that now all the signals from one were clear to the other, but no one took the first step.

* * *

“What's bothering you so much, my sister?” Landon pretended to adjust his glasses.  
  
“At the moment, it's your annoying ass on my chair!” Penelope looked from her laptop to her brother.  
  
“Why did you move out of the estate in the first place? I didn't think you'd be here long”  
  
“Well, sometimes plans change” a bold grin appeared on Landon's face.  
  
“Plans change or someone changes them for the sake of one unapproachable brown-haired woman?” Penelope looked at her brother.

The girl slowly put down her laptop. And with a war cry, she turned on her brother. The chair didn't support the weight of the relatives and fell to the floor with a crash. Landon took advantage of his sister's hesitation and rolled sideways, trying to get up and run, maybe across a few seas and a couple of dozen countries, but Penelope Park won't let go. She grabbed his leg and the curly-haired guy fell again. Penelope sat on top of him and began to beat him with a pillow. Landon tried to block her blows, but many of them came straight at the target.  
  
“Next time I humiliate you in public, do you understand me?” Penelope threatened her brother.

He looked up at his sister, startled, and they both burst out laughing.

The doorbell rang. Penelope stood up and held out her hand to help Landon up. They dusted themselves off, straightened their clothes, and young Park went to meet the face of such an impatient guest, who called several more times in a matter of moments.

“I think you can stop testing my nerv-” Penelope didn't finish her sentence when she saw who was standing on the other side.

“Hi. I heard a crash and thought something was wrong and I couldn't hear if the bell was working, so I thought I'd do it a few times in case something was wrong or I was talking too much” Josie smiled uncomfortably.

For a girl who had risen to the top of the liquor business in a big country, Josie sometimes put her unrealized teen in charge of the management in her head. It was cute, Penelope thought, the way she blushed in awkward situations next to a raven-haired girl because usually she just turned on the bitch and destroyed people.  
  
“Khm…I have to go, Lopey, I`ll call you later!” Landon pushed past the girls.

Looking away from Josie, Penelope saw her brother give Her two thumbs-up and a nervous, toothy smile. The girl rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the girl in front of her.  
  
“I thought you were at work or with Rafael, want to come in?” Penelope stepped back, giving Josie space to enter.  
  
“I wouldn't mind a cup of tea in good company” Josie smiled and went in.

* * *

“Seriously? He just made you take pictures of him in the gym for Instagram?” Penelope was laughing madly.  
  
“Stop it! You promised not to laugh!” Josie pouted.

Penelope barely stopped, but the girl in front of her was too charming. They had been sitting in Penelope's living room for hours, discussing everything and nothing. Josie told her why she thought Raf was a bad date, and that she had finally managed to escape from him.  
  
“I never thought you would be afraid of offending anyone. I think if you'd just yelled at him, he'd have crouched in a corner and whined.” Penelope took a sip of tea.  
  
“Maybe next time, or he'll find it sexy and try again.” Jo casually shrugged her shoulders.

There was a silence between the girls. They looked at each other warily, and the tension in the air was hard to deny. Penelope started to lean in slowly, as did Josie, but the doorbell interrupted them. Again.  
  
“Penny, open up! I know you're there! We need to talk, please!” the voice behind the door was insistent.

“Josie, can we meet tomorrow before work?”  
  
“Yes, of course, everything is all right?” the knocking and ringing didn't stop.  
  
“It will be when I deal with the person behind the door” Penelope smiled encouragingly and went to see Jo off.

Foolishly, the Raven-haired girl opened the door before she could say goodbye to the brown-haired woman. Another brown-haired woman, clearly not the same one, bumped into her and kissed her passionately. After a moment, Penelope realized her position and Josie's quick steps out of her apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new Chapter is already on the threshold.   
> I was sad because of my feelings for one person and now here we are with my inspiration consequences.  
> Love is love <3  
> Happy pride)

**Author's Note:**

> G`day, mates!  
> I hope you are in love with the chapter)  
> If you want the story to continue to leave a comment or DM me @posiesiny
> 
> Twitter: @posiesiny


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